:Western Science is not the only way of knowing the truth.pg 171 - 172 (long passage) Especially on pg 172 3rd paragraph Passage:‘Can you tell me why the tortoise lives more long than generations of men; why the elelphant goes on and on till he have seen dynasties; and why the parrot never die only of bite of cat or dog or other complaint? Can you tell me why men believe in all ages and places that there are some few who live on always if they be permit; that there are men and women who cannot die? We all know- because science has vouched for the fact- that there have been toads shut up in rocks for thousands of years, shut in one so small hole that only hold him since the youth of the world.
AnalysisThis passage is when Van Helsing lists many possible impossibilities that are happening in the world and things that can not be explained by science. He is rebutting against the Doctor’s static mind about how everything can be explained by science and if not, it is considered a false statement or a freak of nature and tries to prove only by science. Van Helsing through this long passage he clearly states that Science is not the only way of knowing the truth.
Literal devices
Usage of Symbolism Sexuality: The only thing that seems to convince Arthur and Quincey that Lucy is an evil Undead is not the fact that she is feasting on a child but that her 'purity' has turned to 'voluptuous wantonness.' (not anymore representing the ideal victorian woman) Usage of Allegory
Windows and doors:
Individual homes are like mini countries for Dracula to invade, so Stoker spends a lot of time describing Dracula's entrance into various homes. The vampire is unable to enter a house where he hasn't been invited, which is why he spends so much time in the form of a bat hovering around Lucy's window, and why he allures her outside while she's sleepwalking so that he can drink her blood there. He can't get to her until the wolf from the zoo breaks through the door.
Critical Passage
We found the child awake. It had had a sleep and taken some food, and altogether was going on well. Dr. Vincent took the bandage from its throat, and showed us the punctures. There was no mistaking the similarity to those which had been on Lucy’s throat. They were smaller, and the edges looked fresher; that was all. (Stoker, Chapter XV, pg 174 third paragraph)
Little bit down from that....
We asked Vincent to what some animal, perhaps a rat; but , for his own part, he was inclined to think that it was one of the bats which are so numerous on the northern heights of London.
Analysis:
I thought this was a critical passage in this section of Dracula(the novel), because this passage is a point where we can infer that Lucy has turned into a supernatural being, also referred to as the Un-dead. In this passage we were stuck with many questions, such as why does Lucy only target young children? In this passage we can not predict much out of that question, but one thought I came up with was that there are certain levels or ages of vampires. Since Lucy has just turned into a vampire she has to only hunt young preys, such as when young cubs hunt young preys. And the reference to the physical description of how the bite on the children were smaller and looked fresher than those of Dracula’s; I think it is referring that Lucy’s teeth is very new, in fact still growing. In the second passage that I refer to I think is really significant and critical to the story because this passage symbolizes some aspect of the theme: Western science .vs. Superstitious beliefs. I came up with the idea, when I saw Dr. Vincent in denial of such outrageous belief that Lucy might be a supernatural being whose doing all these evil acts. However simultaneously, the doctor can not prove this incident with medical or scientific terms. Describing that science were not strong enough during these times and people had to rely on myths and superstitious beliefs. I think these passages are mainly critical because it summarizes the whole section’s problems and themes of how Lucy achieves the transformation in which she starts to aims for children.
Theme
:Western Science is not the only way of knowing the truth.pg 171 - 172 (long passage) Especially on pg 172 3rd paragraph
Passage:‘Can you tell me why the tortoise lives more long than generations of men; why the elelphant goes on and on till he have seen dynasties; and why the parrot never die only of bite of cat or dog or other complaint? Can you tell me why men believe in all ages and places that there are some few who live on always if they be permit; that there are men and women who cannot die? We all know- because science has vouched for the fact- that there have been toads shut up in rocks for thousands of years, shut in one so small hole that only hold him since the youth of the world.
Analysis This passage is when Van Helsing lists many possible impossibilities that are happening in the world and things that can not be explained by science. He is rebutting against the Doctor’s static mind about how everything can be explained by science and if not, it is considered a false statement or a freak of nature and tries to prove only by science. Van Helsing through this long passage he clearly states that Science is not the only way of knowing the truth.
Literal devices
Usage of Symbolism
Sexuality: The only thing that seems to convince Arthur and Quincey that Lucy is an evil Undead is not the fact that she is feasting on a child but that her 'purity' has turned to 'voluptuous wantonness.' (not anymore representing the ideal victorian woman)
Usage of Allegory
Windows and doors:
Individual homes are like mini countries for Dracula to invade, so Stoker spends a lot of time describing Dracula's entrance into various homes. The vampire is unable to enter a house where he hasn't been invited, which is why he spends so much time in the form of a bat hovering around Lucy's window, and why he allures her outside while she's sleepwalking so that he can drink her blood there. He can't get to her until the wolf from the zoo breaks through the door.
Critical Passage
We found the child awake. It had had a sleep and taken some food, and altogether was going on well. Dr. Vincent took the bandage from its throat, and showed us the punctures. There was no mistaking the similarity to those which had been on Lucy’s throat. They were smaller, and the edges looked fresher; that was all. (Stoker, Chapter XV, pg 174 third paragraph)
Little bit down from that....
We asked Vincent to what some animal, perhaps a rat; but , for his own part, he was inclined to think that it was one of the bats which are so numerous on the northern heights of London.
Analysis:
I thought this was a critical passage in this section of Dracula(the novel), because this passage is a point where we can infer that Lucy has turned into a supernatural being, also referred to as the Un-dead. In this passage we were stuck with many questions, such as why does Lucy only target young children? In this passage we can not predict much out of that question, but one thought I came up with was that there are certain levels or ages of vampires. Since Lucy has just turned into a vampire she has to only hunt young preys, such as when young cubs hunt young preys. And the reference to the physical description of how the bite on the children were smaller and looked fresher than those of Dracula’s; I think it is referring that Lucy’s teeth is very new, in fact still growing. In the second passage that I refer to I think is really significant and critical to the story because this passage symbolizes some aspect of the theme: Western science .vs. Superstitious beliefs. I came up with the idea, when I saw Dr. Vincent in denial of such outrageous belief that Lucy might be a supernatural being whose doing all these evil acts. However simultaneously, the doctor can not prove this incident with medical or scientific terms. Describing that science were not strong enough during these times and people had to rely on myths and superstitious beliefs. I think these passages are mainly critical because it summarizes the whole section’s problems and themes of how Lucy achieves the transformation in which she starts to aims for children.